Boom!
Rocks's Cannon Hammer Sword Qi obliterated Kyo's Sky-Splitting Axe Energy in an instant.
The violent force was like a titanic hammer, carving a colossal crater into the island.
Stone shards flew; dust rolled.
The entire street of taverns where Kyo had stood sank, buildings and earth collapsing together.
Countless pirates were caught in the blast, crushed into pulp amid screams of terror.
"Hey, Rocks, that was brutal!"
Newgate frowned as he saw so many innocents caught in the crossfire.
"Gehahaha—Newgate, everyone on this island is a pirate or gangster; if they die, they die."
Shiki laughed wildly and swooped down to see whether his old rival Kyo had been finished off.
If the man couldn't survive a single blow from Rocks, the captain probably wouldn't bother recruiting him.
Then Shiki would never have to call that loud-mouth "partner" on the same deck!
"Worororo—this was just my regular strike!"
Rocks grinned, paying no heed to Newgate's displeasure.
He opened every fight at this level; it was his starting courtesy.
When serious, the slash that had once killed an Admiral would descend.
"Rocks, your cannon-hammer is strong, but next time don't wreck so much stuff—there was food and treasure up there."
Fang Huo didn't care about the lives of thugs and pirates on this island.
But if some rare Devil Fruit user were accidentally killed and the fruit respawned elsewhere, Fang Huo would be the one at a loss.
"Worororo—I'll try to watch it next time. Wasn't that guy the one who attacked first?"
Rocks sheathed his blade with a shrug, giving the Prophet a token nod.
Meanwhile, inside the island's giant pit.
"Gangster Killer" Kyo lay amid the rubble, even worse off than the Fire Cloud Evil God flattened by the Buddha's Palm, blood seeping from his mouth and nose.
He struggled to his feet, every cell trembling, coughed up mouthfuls of blood, and stared skyward in horror.
"Impossible! Shiki can't be that strong!"
"Who—who launched that sword wave?"
Kyo's roar carried a hint of dread; the cannon-like shockwave of sword energy had been terrifying.
"Gehahaha! Still alive? What a pity!"
Shiki felt a twinge of disappointment to see his old foe breathing.
But seeing Kyo battered by Rocks's single blow made him laugh all the harder.
"Shiki!! Really you?!"
Kyo gaped at Shiki in the sky, wondering if that slash had truly come from him.
Right then—
five silhouettes drifted overhead, backlit by the sun; to Kyo they felt as monstrous as beasts.
"Vice Captain Fang Huo, your Gravity Ability is far better than Shiki's Float-Float."
"That guy's fruit can't affect living things at all—your Anti-Gravity Field is the real deal."
Babel, glancing at Fang Huo perched on his shoulder, sounded pleased.
He liked that the Prophet trusted him.
Fang Huo had once ridden Newgate's shoulder, but at six-odd meters Newgate couldn't match ten-meter Babel.
Babel's shoulders were broader and sturdier.
Of course, Newgate hadn't been keen on the idea anyway.
Sunbell envied Babel's size; at only five or six meters he couldn't even rival Newgate.
"Worororo—this feels great."
Rocks tested his speed inside the Anti-Gravity Field; perhaps he could coordinate with the Prophet in future fights.
"Gehahaha, Kyo, see that? This is the crew I've joined!"
Shiki floated beside the five, looking down at Kyo in the pit.
"Worororo—I'm Rocks! 'Gangster Killer' Kyo, you took one of my moves and still breathe—worthy of the Rocks Pirates."
"Join us, die, or play a fun round of Davy Back Fight?"
Rocks roared, unleashing Conqueror's Haki that crushed the infamous killer of the New World.
"The world's worst pirate—Rocks?!!"
Kyo's pupils shrank behind his shades; he had run into the monster who slew an Admiral?
So the terrifying slash had come from Rocks.
No wonder—that turtle Shiki could never be that strong!
"A star-studded crew of total villains, huh!"
"If that bastard Shiki's in, then count me in too!"
Kyo shot the smug Shiki a glare and accepted Rocks's invitation without hesitation.
Refuse, and even if Rocks spared him, that cur Shiki would finish the job.
Better to sign on and find chances later to get even with Shiki.
"Worororor—welcome aboard! On my ship the strong rule; I don't care about crew scuffles."
"Hope you and Shiki have a grand time together!"
Rocks glanced at Shiki; since the upstart still coveted Fang Huo, let him taste some grief.
Let Kyo pester Shiki, and let the two sharpen each other through constant battle and pressure.
"The strong rule? I like a crew of outright villains."
Kyo wiped the blood from his face, showing a cruel grin.
Sailing on the same ship as that bastard Shiki would be pure joy.
"Hmph—I'll surpass you fast!"
Shiki's expression turned deadly serious; since he couldn't avoid it, he'd outgrow Kyo in the shortest time.
He was certain he could do it!
With "Gangster Killer" Kyo's enlistment, Fang Huo's group landed on the pirate isle to resupply.
They also gathered intel on other powerhouses or Devil Fruit users.
News that "Gangster" Shiki and "Gangster Killer" Kyo had both joined the Rocks Pirates swept the island.
Every member of the entourage of the world's worst pirate came under the gaze of pirates and informants alike.
"Gehahaha! Scum, remember this—henceforth I'm 'Golden Lion' Shiki!"
"Burn my name into your skulls!"
Shiki crushed several pirate crews at the harbor and plundered their treasure without restraint.
"I'm 'Abyssal Titan' Babel, Executive of the Rocks Pirates!"
Babel hoisted a pirate ship with both hands and hurled it, displaying overwhelming might.
No wonder his old epithet was "Catfish Wrestler"—his strength surpassed even Giants.
He also snatched an anchor and smashed several more ships to splinters.
"Bahahaha—the meteor anchor Rocks!"
The more he swung it the more he liked it; Fang Huo's weapon suggestion suited his style perfectly.
Fang Huo, Newgate, and Sunbell didn't join the rampage; none of them liked building fame through mindless destruction.
"Prophet? So in the future I'll be called 'Silver Axe' Kyo?"
After learning the crew's details, Kyo still eyed Fang Huo with suspicion.
Still, the epithet "Silver Axe" sounded pretty good!